Life is too short not to exact a bitter and bloody revenge
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Apple boots Sony off Iphone App Store
FRUIT THEMED TOY MAKER Apple is putting the squeeze on content providers by tightening controls on its App Store.
Apple has told Sony that it can no longer sell content through applications on the App Store, saying all purchases must go through Apple. The App Store serves as the only way for users of IOS devices to load software onto their shiny gadgets.
Sony had its Iphone application rejected on the basis that it allows users to purchase ebooks from the Sony Reader Store rather than Apple's own store. Steve Haber, president of Sony's digital reading division told the New York Times that "Apple told Sony that from now on, all in-app purchases would have to go through Apple", adding that this was "the opposite" of what Sony wanted to do.
This latest move by Apple opens up the possibility that Amazon's Kindle application will also get the boot. Amazon recently promoted the popularity of ebooks, saying their sales have overtaken those of paperbacks. However Apple has been relatively quiet about sales of ebooks through its own bookstore and clamping down on competitors will surely help it drive sales.
Apple's decision also casts doubt on whether magazines will be able to sell issues through their own application on the Ipad.
Given that Apple has been keen to promote the Ipad as the saviour of print media, it'll be interesting to see if it makes one rule for ebooks and another for magazines and newspapers.
If it does, then it'll be even more interesting to see if anyone objects to that discrimination. µ
Tags: Apple
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As long as there are enough stupid people (to buy iphone) there will be enough "smart people" to take advantage of them.
And there will allways be enough stupid people. Try to be the first who finds them.
their products are so low priced. ;-)
SuperEurope will save us, in 3 years. Driven by the Germens or French .
How long before Apple decide that web browsing isn't allowed either ;-)
and confirms the basic jist of the story.
"We are now requiring that if an app offers customers the ability to purchase books outside of the app, that the same option is also available to customers from within the app with in-app purchase."
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/apple-responds-to-app-store-furor-says-it-wants-a-cut-of-e-book-sales.ars
You'd have thought with reports giving Android twice IOS's market share in Q4 2010 Apple would be thinking of ways to avoid pissing off developers and content providers, but apparently not.
Apple has become 1984 and its fanboys couldn't care less. Apple is constantly crossing the line and only backs down when the EU slaps them with a fine. This is a pathetic attempt to save their 30% cut. Software devs and publishers are being pimped by Apple. Big Brother will keep you safe.
Amazon does it exactly right with the Kindle, no matter the platform. You log into their web store and manage your content from there. You can also direct media to particular devices. I read Kindle books on my iPhone, iPad and two Macs. It's quite nice.
Sony attempted to circumvent the allowed content purchase system provided by IOS. Their app was rejected. Big whoop. Try again, Sony.
the moon were made of green cheese and I was the king of England? No point in talking about anti-trust cases on the basis of "what if", they need to be based on some real and demonstrable wrong.
Since you can load music, books and videos from other sources (standard MP3, ePub and MP4s without DRM all work find) and there'd be a huge outcry if Apple tried to block them you can safely assume this isn't going to happen.
Sony could make as the previous poster said, and redirect users to the Web.
But what if, soon, Apple reject everything that have been purchased outside of it's control to be put on the phone? Does that include MP3, ebooks and magazines bought from the Web (outside of Apple grip) too?
I can smell antitrust case here... :-)
Sony never got their app through the approval process, so it wasn't "pulled", it was rejected. The reasons for rejection aren't being publicly stated, but it looks like Sony wanted to incorporate their store into the app and bill customers directly. That's a no no under existing iOS dev rules. Amazon gets around it by redirecting users to their web store for searching and purchases. I believe that B&N do something similar. If Apple pull THOSE apps then we've got issues.